Dozens of sick seabirds, struggling to stand and walk, have been spotted along beaches in Sarasota in the past month, according to a local wildlife rehabilitation center.
The cases are unusual, and could be due to a toxin of some kind, said lead wildlife rehabber Jonathan Hande at Save Our Seabirds.
"We typically see this kind of thing with red tide. But there's no real level of red tide in the water right now that would be causing this issue," Hande said.
He said the birds affected include red knots, which are tiny shorebirds that migrate to Florida and Cuba from the Arctic Circle. They are about the size of a mango, with a black beak, grayish feathers and a rusty colored patch on their chests at certain times of the year.
Twelve sick red knots were treated in the past week. Two died, but a few of them seem to be improving, Hande said.
About 40 laughing gulls also came into his clinic in the past month, also from some mystery toxin that affected their ability to stand.
Hande said he reached out to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to see if they can test the birds, but didn’t immediately hear back.
"I probably will poke them again, now that I have the new species that is being affected by it now,” he said.
The ailing birds have been seen in the Siesta and Lido Key areas.
Beachcombers may notice these birds sitting on the shore, appearing if their legs or wings are broken.
"When you approach it, if it doesn't stand up, or doesn't stand up easily, or it stumbles when it stands up, that's how you know,” Hande said.
If you see a seabird like this, you can cover it in a towel and carry it to a wildlife rehab center. Or call one of the locations below.
Another possibility for the illness is exhaustion from their long migration, Hande said, but it’s difficult to know until the birds can be tested by state wildlife officials.
LOCAL WILDLIFE REHAB CENTERS
Save Our Seabirds
Sarasota
(941) 388-3010
After Hours Emergency Line: (941) 416-4967
Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida
Venice
(941) 484-9657 from 8 AM-6 PM
FOR AFTER-HOURS WILDLIFE EMERGENCY RESCUE ONLY: (941) 416-4967
Seaside Seabird Sanctuary
Indian Shores
(727) 391-6211
Owls Nest
Odessa
(813) 598-5926
Birds In Helping Hands
If you find injured or orphaned wildlife on the west central coast of Florida (Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas Counties) call Shelley at (727) 365-4592
